


cleanup on aisle 69

by graphiteonwhite, kitsudoki



Category: Kagerou Project, おそ松さん | Osomatsu-san (Anime)
Genre: F/M, Retail AU, Roleplay thread, help m, rarepair central yall
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-28
Updated: 2018-08-28
Packaged: 2019-07-03 13:26:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15819801
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/graphiteonwhite/pseuds/graphiteonwhite, https://archiveofourown.org/users/kitsudoki/pseuds/kitsudoki
Summary: Ayano's little sister has had her eyes on a particular item for quite some time. What better opportunity to spoil her than the holidays?On sale today at JcPenny™ are perfumes, bath bombs, andlove...?





	cleanup on aisle 69

**Author's Note:**

> my wonderful coauthor, dani: This One(s) for Candice
> 
> this is a heckin old rp thread by dani and i that we did back in march 2016
> 
> dani did ayano's replies & i did kara's bc anything else would throw off the worlds balance. pov switches with each page divider. have fun u poor sods

     As the older sister of three younger siblings, it's your job to make the most of what you can for each and every single one of them! Even if it means entering retail stores right before a holiday sale, heroically risking your life for the Greater Good (that good being Tsubomi, Shuuya, and Kousuke's happiness). Today, however, was a strangely calm day at JCPenny, and luckily for Ayano, today was also her free day. For once, she could spend all the time she needed, and maybe even have fun! Maybe she'd find something cute. But wait, no– priority first. She needed to find something that she (secretly) knew Tsubomi's been wanting for a very long time: that fluffy pair of bunny slippers, the one with the scarlet lace fitting! Ah, she'd be so happy when Ayano comes home; she could hardly wait! Immediately upon entering the brightly-lit store, she eyed the familiar employee apron, neatly tied behind the waist of someone who was standing near the perfume aisle. Perfect. "Excuse me," Ayano began, "Can you help me find a pair of bunny slippers, about,, this," she gestured with her hands, "big, and this," she gestured again only wider this time, "cute?"

 

* * *

 

     Karamatsu had to say, he was pretty disappointed in the overall turnout at the store so close to the holidays. He figured that maybe this would be His Chance To Redeem Himself™, sell as much as he could. But so far, there had been a total of twenty four customers in the past hour. Most of them seemed only to be interested in window shopping, too. Karamatsu ended up busying himself in the perfume aisle, straightening the small boxes and bottles to make everything a bit more neat. He was delighted, though, when his idle straightening of bottles was interrupted by a young lady asking him about... bunny slippers? She even specifically asked for cute ones. How could bunny slippers _not_ be cute, though? Nonetheless, he smiled and nodded like a good retail worker. "Ah, yes, I'm sure we can find something to your liking, Miss." Nailed it. He'd been working on lines like that all day. "The shoe aisle is this way." This is it, this is The One, he _will_ sell some stuff to this girl--he's just got to. He figured he should help her find what she came for first, though. There was a wide variety of shoes here, but it shouldn't take long to find a pair of slippers that would satisfy her.

 

* * *

 

     Nice! Not only did Ayano land an actual employee (last time she asked a stranger and it was very awkward to say the least!!) she landed a cute and kind one as well! "Thank you very much!!" She followed the young man as he lead her way through aisle after aisle of glossy bags, glittery jewelry, and captivating perfume. It was almost tempting to ask about them (particularly the ruby-adorned necklace– plain and elegant, just how she liked it) but the girl pressed on, very determined. As soon as they walked into the shoe aisle, Ayano meticulously scanned the area. Hm hm, bunny slippers. Her hand poised right above her eyes, she looked over the general area and searched for any sign of fluff, lace, and bunny ears. Hmmmmmmmmm. Hmmmmmmmmmmmm. No sign. She glanced towards the surprisingly patient employee. "Um... are the bunny slippers no longer on display?"

 

* * *

 

     Karamatsu glanced around as they passed through the long aisle. Uh? Uhhhh??? That's strange, he really thought he had seen some just earlier? And it wasn't like he only saw one pair, there were several of the same kind, in different sizes. He blinked at the customer's question, shooting her another smile, although this one was a bit more sheepish. "I suppose they aren't? I do apologize for this _massive_ inconvenience, Miss. I could check if they're still available in the back, if you so desire." Okay, he really didn't expect this to happen. He was really hoping he wouldn't end up losing a sale because of this. At the moment, he could only clasp his hands and hope she didn't get upset or something. He'd dealt with nasty customers before, but that didn't mean he wanted to if he could avoid it.

 

* * *

 

     Ayano's lips curled up at such formal conversation! He didn't seem much older than her, but she supposed that even very young adults do try to maintain a professional composure at work. Still, she wouldn't argue that it was bad! It was actually nice being treated like a lady. At least, until he looked bothered by the circumstances. "Ah no no, it's fine! I have all the time in the world, honestly," she quickly replied, hands thrown up in reassurance. "But that would be very much appreciated! Thank you so much, erm...," she looked over to his nametag. "Thank you very much, Matsuno-san!", she finished respectfully, bowing deeply to show her gratitude. Really, she heard all about retail jobs from Kousuke, who's been involved in part-time jobs for quite some time. They seem to have it rough, so she's more than willing to be courteous to this fellow! And besides, he was very polite. (And very cute, but don't quote her on that.)

 

* * *

 

     Karamatsu was definitely appreciative of how understanding the girl was being. A cute girl like her, being so nice to him of all people? She even bothered to use his name. Today was his Lucky Day, he supposed. He let out a tiny sigh of relief and bowed back. "Of course, Miss--this should take but a moment." He did say that before, but it was easier to find things in the back of the store, where everything was labeled and ordered in an overly-specific-but-still-easy-to-understand way. He totally forgot to ask about the size, though. Minutes later, he returned with a few boxes of slippers in hand. He brought a few extra pairs in different sizes, both for the customer's convenience and to restock the shelves. Karamatsu proudly presented them to the girl. "Are any of these the size that you're looking for? I would be glad to search for the correct size if they aren't."

 

* * *

 

     Ah nice!! The kind sir arrived with the boxes in tow, evoking a small round of applause from Ayano. As he stepped back with a proud huff, arms akimbo, she held a pair of bunny slippers in her hands. Hmmm... Wait, did she...? Know what size of shoes that Tsubomi wears now? She pursed her lips in contemplation. It'd be awful of Ayano to give her sister a smaller size than she needed, but.... She looked down at her own shoes. Maybe they were the same shoe size? After all, they were the same height now, so...!! Ayano immediately plopped down onto a chair and slipped her shoes off, trying not to look dumb in front of the ever-so-patient assistant. Right. She just... needed to try a pair. After gingerly slipping a matching pair onto her feet, she hopped up and gave them a try. To be honest, she's been curious about these slippers. They were really cute, and to her surprise, there were tiny bells attached to one end! She smiled in pure delight, giving a twirl or two. Gosh, these were cute! Ayano chucked, ah, she can see why Tsubomi wanted them so much! With a very pleased expression, she faced Matsuno-san, asking for their price.

 

* * *

 

    The entire thing was honestly really cute. Karamatsu couldn't help but smile the entire time--she seemed to really like the pair of slippers. Good for her. When she asked for the price, however, he remembered his original mission--get her to buy other stuff too. He almost didn't want to, after seeing how happy with the slippers she had been, but he also really wanted to impress the higher-ups. It was by pure luck and the mercy of his boss that he even managed to nab this job--he didn't want to lose it so soon. Karamatsu quickly gave the price of the adorable slippers, following up with, "Will that be all, Miss? Because we do have a large selection of perfumes as well as clothes, if you're interested." His smile widened a little in an attempt to be persuasive. It was times like these that he really hated having such little work experience. He was still a total newb, which meant he wasn't very good at all at getting others to buy stuff. That was only proven by the number of complaints he'd received from customers in the past few weeks about how pushy he was being, and it was why he was trying so hard not to be too overbearing now.

 

* * *

 

     Ah, Ayano's so glad she brought more than enough money for the slippers! The only thing she had to worry about was the size... She perked up at the employee's inquiry. Oh, anything else? Her thoughts flashed to that ruby necklace, and she was left with a choice. Either she saves her money and puts it to good use, or she... follows her sibling's advice and treats herself for once. Hmm. She glanced at her watch. Okay well.... She had more than enough time to spare, why not? "Ah, well, Matsuno-san, we passed by this ruby necklace on the way here," she asked, twiddling her thumbs. "Could we take a look at that?"

 

* * *

 

     Karamatsu's face lit up upon hearing her request to look at a necklace she'd taken interest in. Today really was his lucky day! "Why, certainly, Miss! I believe I know of the necklace you're referring to." A quick gesture asking her to follow was all that he gave before heading in the direction of the ruby necklace. He didn't blame her at all for becoming interested in such a pretty piece of jewelry. It would probably look nice on her, too. "Here we are. Would you like to try it on before you make the decision to buy it?"

 

* * *

 

     At the sight of the necklace, Ayano's heart skipped a beat. She's never really spent any money on herself, so it felt... odd. It almost felt wrong. But upon looking at the necklace, she pursed her lips. It was really pretty... It was simple and yet, quite captivating in it's own right. At his offer, she simply nodded. Trying it on surely wouldn't hurt, right? And after all, the way it dangled from Matsuno-san's fingers and caught the light was really really beautiful! If only Tsubomi was into this kind of thing too, then maybe they could talk about it together. "Oh, um...," Ayano started, obviously embarassed, "Could you put it on for me? I'm not too familiar with jewelry, and I'd hate to tangle it up somehow!"

 

* * *

 

     Karamatsu's eyes widened a bit in surprise. He stayed quiet for a second, letting her newest request process. Huh. Well, he _did_ own a necklace himself, so it's not like he wasn't familiar with jewelry either. It was just... embarrassing. His cheeks turned a very light pink as he replied, "Oh. Uh, of course! Anything for a beloved customer." That was as good as he could do right now in terms of playing it off like he wasn't flustered. He stepped behind the girl, asking her to move her hair up and out of the way so as to not get the necklace tangled in it. He grew more flustered by the second and did what he could to avoid physical contact, but luckily, it didn't take long at all for him to finish anyway. He cleared his throat to rid himself of any leftover embarrassment and returned to his spot in front of her shortly after, nodding in approval. "Oh, you look wonderful, Miss," he said as he turned a mirror in her direction. It may have sounded like he was just saying that, but he really meant it--she looked stunning.

 

* * *

 

     Ayano hummed, obviously excited. She did wonder about Matsuno-san's delayed reaction, but it didn't take long before he sprang back into customer serving action. (And good for her too, for the longer he stared, the more self-conscious– and flustered– Ayano became.) Once he gave her the okay, she released her grip on her brown hair, letting it cascade onto her shoulders. At the sound of his compliment, the girl giggled– how sweet! "Thank you, Matsuno-san." Looking at her own reflection, she found herself smiling very very widely. It's shade of scarlet was beautiful, and complimented her hairclips perfectly. It was gorgeous. Her smile smoldered, however, as her eyes looked up from the sparkling gems to her face. The youth couldn't help but sigh. "Such a pretty necklace should be hung under a face just as nice," she muttered, changing her mind. It was too... flashy for her anyhow. Maybe she should look into the other necklaces instead. Or simply do away with this silliness and just... buy the slippers before embarrassing herself even more in front of this very nice gentleman; he was still standing there, and she started to feel ridiculous.

 

* * *

 

     Her words came out soft, but the store was quiet enough for Karamatsu to hear her just fine. However, he originally thought he had heard her wrong--that's how much he disagreed with her statement. His brow furrowed in confusion--did she not see how pretty she was? "What could you possibly mean? If I may, I'd say the real gem here is you, Miss." He sort of flinched at his own words, remembering that he'd been told before not to flirt with the customers. But was this even actually flirting? It was a hundred percent true, after all. Either way, it came out before he could stop it, and it wasn't like she didn't need a boost of confidence anyway. After offering his two cents, he continued, "If you've changed your mind, maybe we can find another necklace that interests you. It's a shame, though--that one really suits you." He was glad he didn't have to lie about how it looked on her; it made trying to convince her easier.

 

* * *

 

     The girl's eyes flickered up in surprise. He actually heard that..? And not to mention... He thought she was pretty? Her smile quickly grew into a grin in no time at all— he was much cuter than she initially thought! Oh goodness, Matsuno-san really is kind. A soft shade of pink dusted her features as she politely covered her lips in laughter. Even if that was simply lip service, it... really did feel flattering to hear that from such a gentleman. "Thank you again, Matsuno-san. But, if I may," she started, flashing her smile towards him. "People like you shine brighter than any gem I've ever seen." And she meant it. Suddenly finding herself self-conscious again, Ayano quickly looked back to her quickly reddening reflection. "A-And if you really think so, then I think I'll buy this!" Even now, she couldn't hide her smile. "After all, it must be a very lucky gemstone if I got to meet someone like you."

 

* * *

 

 _Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?_ This sweet customer's remark had caught him completely off guard. Never in a million years did he expect to actually get complimented back--he'd grown so used to being ignored by girls that he hardly knew how to handle it. He felt his cheeks heat up as he searched for a reply good enough for this amiable young lady, but before he could, she had already said that she would be buying the necklace. "A-Ah--that's great...!" Quick, quick, think of something to say back! He smiled in a way he had practiced for years and closed his eyes, putting on his 'cool' exterior for a moment. "I'm sure it is; it's by nothing short of a miracle that I met as kind a girl as you." The true miracle was how he had been able to avoid stuttering. Maybe he would've actually looked cool, too, if he wasn't blushing so much. "Um. Anyway! I can ring that up for you, if that's everything you wanted," he chattered nervously, eyes darting away from her for a moment.

 

* * *

 

     Her smile just couldn't go away! Seeing the reddening complexion on his face was making her all the more nervous (and curiously giddy) and elicited a few more nervous giggles. Oh, Ayano. She had no idea what was right up ahead. "O-Oh." He complimented her. Twice. And maybe it was just her imagination, but did he... sparkle in a way? Regardless, she stood there, mouth slightly agape. She could hardly even register his request. After all, if Tsubomi was here, she'd surely be disgusted and drag her silly nee-chan away. And perhaps, she should be disgusted too. If this was a typical day, and if Ayano was in typical circumstances, talking to a typical person, she would laugh. Maybe even return the favor, and simply walk away. But no. She did not laugh. She didn't even walk away. You know what she did? She swooned. She swooned over an awful pick-up line from a very kind stranger whose name she didn't even know. And she knew she was absolutely ridiculous for it. Finally tearing her eyes away from the suddenly-very-awkward-to-look-at employee, she simply nodded, all too conscious of the space between them and how embarrassing she was and how not even the most powerful of gods could save her now, despite her most desperate of prayers and how she really needs to get away from here and never come back for as long as she lives. .....At least, not before asking a simple question. "Wait, there is... um. Something I'd like, if that's okay with you!" Okay Ayano. She could do this. It's not even personal, she just needs to!! Believe!!! "Might I ask for your name? Most tags have both first and last names on them, but yours is different, Matsuno-san."

 

* * *

 

     The silence between them was quickly becoming unbearable. Karamatsu grew worried that he had offended her in some way. He thought back to what he had said, picking his sentence to pieces to figure out what he had said wrong and what could've bothered her. He still came back empty-handed. He glanced back at her, discovering that he wasn't the only one with a red face. From his experience, though, red only meant angry after one of his lines, and he started to fear for the worst. By this point, he was prepared to just apologize and be done with it all, when she asked a rather curious question that made him throw his eyebrows up a little. His name? Why would she want to know something like that? It was true that his nametag only had his last name--an error, his boss had explained, that would be fixed as soon as they decided if they would keep him as an employee--but he couldn't imagine why she would, well, care. Still, he cleared his throat before responding. "Ah, it's Karamatsu. Matsuno Karamatsu." Now that she had asked for his name, he had become curious about hers. Praying that she wouldn't think it out of line, he asked for hers as well.

 

* * *

  
     The sound of the intriguing name snapped the girl out of her flustered trance. “Karamatsu?” His name bounced off her tongue. “Matsuno Karamatsu.” Ayano closed her eyes, letting the interesting name take hold. “Ka–ra–ma–tsu.” Hmm! She doesn’t think she’s heard that one before. The girl had to admit though; his name was just as cute as he was. (Right, she has to leave as soon as she can before she does something embarrassing in front of said cute person!) Flickering her eyes open, she peered at his changed expression. It seemed to have changed from it’s previous porcelain serenity to something more… peculiar. More natural. And Ayano found herself liking that. “Hehe, thank you Karamatsu-san. And you have a very (not cute definitely not going to say cute) _nice_ name!”, she added. Ah, and he wants to know her name too? She offered her hand to shake. “Ayano! Tateyama Ayano,” the youth answered, copying him (and enjoying it far too much). “Pleased to be your acquaintance!”  
Pleased with the outcome of all these events, Ayano clasped his peculiar grip (it was very gentle, as if she were made of glass) with both hands, carried away with the prospect of making a new friend (ah wait– a new acquaintance, pardon her french!). “Oh– and before I forget, I _think_ there’s a necklace and a pair of bunny slippers in need of being paid for,” Ayano jokingly teased, all too aware of how much of Karamatsu’s time was being taken up by silly her. “I’m sure there are other people who needs your help much more than I do, as fun as it’s been.” Truth be told, she really didn’t want to leave so soon; she was having a pleasant time. But well, time waits for no one, and she (as well as the very cute Karamatsu) was no exception.  
And he even flashed her another smile! Either customer service really stepped up their game here, or Karamatsu really was very, very kind. (take that! she didn’t even mention the word ‘cute’ that time!) Pushing down the disappointment rising in her gut, Ayano took her time walking towards the store entrance, thinking to herself along the way. Mmm, she’d have to visit again. For the sales, obviously. Nothing more. Swinging her bag along her side, she turned towards Karamatsu, who was bidding her goodbye. “Thank you, Karamatsu-san!” But… she stopped in her tracks, reaching into her purse, scribbling onto a slip of paper. Juuust one more thing. Okay well, two really. Quickly making her way back to the once-again intrigued employee, she went against all reason and logic, and simply... pecked him on the cheek, slipping a little surprise (iiiiin case he’d like to keep in touch!) into his hands. Pulling away, Ayano offered him one last rosy smile. “Hehe, I really hope so too.” Immediately, she turned around and briskly walked away, hiding the sudden tidal wave of embarrassment that quickly made everything all the more… exciting. And she liked it. A lot. And she hoped he liked it too.

**Author's Note:**

> anyway with the reading of this rp u automatically sign ur soul over to dani and i, hope it was worth it
> 
> u dont wanna know how much content we've made about these two
> 
> please consider ayakara as a good quality ship
> 
> bc it is
> 
> pls


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